JUMBO Plastic and Kera Mix try to nail the last two quarterfinal berths against MP Hotel and Tanduay Light, respectively, at the end of the elimination round in the Philippine Basketball Association Developmental League Foundation Cup on Thursday at the Ynares Arena.
The Mixers and the Giants are holding on to fifth and sixth spots with similar 4-4 records but are hard-pressed to close out their final game in the eliminations to secure their place in the next round.
Jumbo Plastic faces MP Hotel (1-7) at 1 p.m., while Kera Mix takes on Tanduay Light (3-5) at 3 o’clock, in a pair of matches that could go either way.
“It’s make or break for us. Hopefully, we could continue playing aggressive,” said Jumbo Plastic Coach Stevenson Tiu after their 87-66 victory against last-placed Liver Marin (1-8) last week.
The Warriors are long out of contention and have lost their last five but their determination to go out with a bang makes them dangerous.
The Mixers are also expected to have their hands full against the Rhum Masters, who are hoping to advance to the quarterfinals no matter how long a shot their chance may be.
As things stand, a loss by Jumbo Plastic and Kera Mix will be a stunning blow for the two teams. That scenario will lead to a four-way tie involving the Giants, the Mixers, the Rhum Masters and the AMA University Titans.
If that happens, AMA and Tanduay Light will clinch the last two quarterfinal berths on the strength of superior quotients.
“It’s very improbable. But you can never tell. We’ll just go out there and try to win and see what happens,” Tanduay Light Coach Lawrence Chongson said.
AMA also holds an advantage in case of a two-way or three-way ties so the Titans will be rooting for a loss by either Jumbo Plastic or Kera Mix.